Diabeteversary

It has been exactly 17 years since I was diagnosed with the 'betes (type 1 version). On one hand, I cannot believe that it has been that long, but on the other, I hardly remember not being diabetic. Every year on my anniversary, I stop and reflect on how thankful I am that I have diabetes as my chronic illness, and not something worse. It is serious, but it is manageable. And I am thankful that I am living now, and not 60 or 50 or even 40 years ago, when it wasn't so easy to manage. I have been able to live a very 'normal' life so far, and I think part of that has to do with science, part has to do with my personality, and a lot has to do with my mother.

When I was diagnosed, nothing changed in my life from the first 8 years. I was not treated differently by her or the rest of my family. Diabetes was never an acceptable excuse for anything. Can't clean your room because your blood sugar is low? Sit here, drink some oj & eat some PBCs (heh - peanut butter crackers for those not in the know) and then clean your room. Snack time? Eat a Frookie. (Terrible cookie made with fructose.) I never felt different. It never crossed my mind that I couldn't do something because I was diabetic. I went to sleepovers. I played sports. I was left home alone after school. My mother never showed me that she was afraid to let me do any of these things. (She later told me that she was terrified and spent a lot of time crying those first few months. I had no idea.) I just continued what I had been doing, except I stopped and took a shot every couple of hours. Even that never seemed like a big deal. I always did it myself, so it never interrupted my routine. In fact, shots even provided some amusement. My little brother's best friend was deathly afraid of needles. When I was around 12 years old, I would purposely leave the needle in my arm and walk around the house and laugh at the look of terror on his face. (I was a sick kid, I know.)

So even though diabetes never felt like a big part of my life, it is a huge part of who I am. I don't know what I would be like if I weren't diabetic. It has given me a very strong sense of my body. I think it played a large role in forming my independence. Also, because of diabetes, I have made some of my closest friends. And some of the best moments of my life have been spent with these people. And me having diabetes has changed other people's lives as well. Sgt. I from Rochester probably wouldn't have ever gone to CC if I wasn't diabetic. My brother wouldn't have met his first puppy love girlfriend if I wasn't diabetic. I wouldn't have met my friends in Tampa if because I wouldn't have known Sixnip.

So that's my tribute to Diabetes for this year. If I could go back and not be diabetic, would I? I am not entirely sure. Pancreas, keep doing what you're doing - a whole lotta nothing - here's to another year without complications.